The present invention relates to oil pump apparatus for internal combustion engines. More particularly, the invention relates to an oil pump apparatus organization having reduced space requirements as compared with oil pump apparatus heretofore known in the art.
Oil pump apparatus is conventionally integrated into the drive systems of internal combustion engines. One such conventional oil pump apparatus is described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 59-64415 (No. 64415/1984). In the described arrangement, the oil pump employs a dedicated drive shaft for driving the pump rotor. Since the dedicated oil pump drive shaft must be disposed in parallel relation to the crankshaft and to the transmission gear shafts, the space requirements for the engine are increased.
It is to the amelioration of this problem to which the present invention is directed.